Spencer Trail

Many people visit Lees Ferry, for several reasons; this tiny settlement beside the Colorado River is the starting location for raft trips down Marble Gorge and the Grand Canyon, the end point for the 38 mile hike through the narrows of the Paria River, it has a scenic campground, and is at the center of a varied geological area with balanced rocks, badlands, narrow canyons and the high Vermilion Cliffs. One lesser known attraction is the Spencer Trail, a 2 mile route that climbs to a plateau above the steep cliffs of Kayenta and Navajo sandstone that border the north side of Lees Ferry, giving excellent views south down the river and northeast across Glen Canyon towards Page and Lake Powell. The path gains 1,600 feet elevation so although fairly short the hike is quite strenuous; the round trip takes 2 to 3 hours. For a longer excursion, a less used and unmarked route down the cliffs (the Dominguez Trail) may be reached by heading northwest on top of the plateau for 2 miles; it then descends into the lower Paria River gorge, which is then followed downstream back to the trailhead. All this area is within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, hence a visit requires payment of the $15 entrance fee